


Piece by Piece

by adreamywonderland



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:41:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24849964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adreamywonderland/pseuds/adreamywonderland
Summary: Sakemoto Emiko just came back from the United States, otherwise known as the place her life went to shit. Coming back to Tokyo was both something she was looking forward to and something she was dreading. How would the people she cared about react to seeing how different she'd become? Especially when they didn't even know the half of it. She just couldn't tell them.Not one day into her new school life, she met someone who just by existing was pushing her buttons, and his dark blue eyes bore into her like he could see all of the secrets she so desperately hid. Neither knew how to deal with the other, but Emiko's childhood friends weren't just going to let things remain calm between them. Maybe he really can help her recover piece by piece, until she is whole again.Note: Will add more characters as I put them into the story, I just don't know which ones are going to be there yet.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Piece by Piece

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first fic here, so I'm trying to figure out how things work. I have a few ideas for fics that are at their beginning stages already, but I felt like the planning behind this one was more complete. I hope everyone likes the first chapter. Let me know if there are any typos or things.

The entrance ceremony was loud. The classroom was loud. It wasn't even full. She sent a text saying she was in Class 2-5 and just kept scrolling through her music with one earbud in her ear as she listened to a slow song. She wasn't really looking for something else to listen to, she just wanted to keep busy. Needed to keep busy. Her brown eyes lit up slightly when she saw an excited response. She wasn't alone here. There was one person she knew in this school, and that's all she needed. 

"Excuse me?" The words were accompanied by a tap on her desk, telling the girl she was being spoken to. She slowly lifted her head and curiously looked into big hazel eyes. 

"Yes?" 

"I'm Nakano Honoka. Nice to meet you." Her short dark brown hair hung neatly around her face in a bob hairstyle. She was smiling sweetly. She looked harmless enough. They all did though.

"I'm Sakemoto Emiko. Nice to meet you as well." The brunette's eyes betrayed her confusion. 

"Are you new here Sakemoto-chan? I don't think I've heard your name around before." Emiko nodded, ignoring the '-chan' added to her surname.

"I just transferred in this year." 

"Ah, that's why. Well, let me know if you need anything." Emiko nodded again before looking down at her phone. She had chosen a seat in the left, back corner of the room, so she had the smallest number of people around her. This allowed her to have as few unnecessary interactions as possible. It wouldn't hurt to know a few people in case of missed notes or homework, but two was more than enough. Honoka was in front of her, having turned around to start the conversation. However, the seat next to her was empty since not everyone had arrived in class yet. The other upside of her seating choice was that she had the window on her left. She was about to continue scrolling through her endless playlists when the brunette spoke up again. 

"Why are you sitting in the corner?" Emiko looked up again, this time raising an eyebrow in incredulity. 

"I can't?" She had to control herself from snapping, but the girl quickly raised her hands in front of her while shaking her head, probably having seen the edge in Emiko's eyes. 

"Oh no, no, I didn't mean to be rude, I'm sorry. It's just there is this one guy who always takes the corner seat because he doesn't like being bothered by people, so I was wondering if that's also why you sat there." She looked down sheepishly with a light blush on her cheeks. She was more observant than she looked.

"Oh… I guess. I don't like being around too many people at once, especially in a new place. Taking my interactions one by one feels more comfortable." Emiko explained as she put a polite smile on her face. She was glad the girl was only curious, so there was no harm in explaining. The brunette seemed to light up at the lack of a reprimand. 

"Is that guy in this class this year?" She was curious about this person who didn't interact much with others. This question seemed to make the girl beam for some reason, making Emiko suddenly feel as if she were looking at a lightbulb. 

"Yep! He's handsome and nice. His name is Akaashi-kun, and he's like the idol of the school." Emiko's curiosity vanished at the word 'idol', and her smile faded slightly. It took a lot not to purse her lips, but she didn't want to ruin the atmosphere that much. 

"I don't like idols." She said simply in reply, causing the girl to startle and look at her with disbelief. Before Honoka could say anything else, though, they both realized someone just arrived to take a seat next to Emiko. The boy froze in the middle of lifting his bag onto his lap. Honoka went pale when she recognized the male. 

"A-Akaashi-kun! W-Welcome back, I hope you had a good break." Honoka's voice was weak and panicked, hoping he hadn't heard, but him remaining frozen with his eyes on Emiko told the brunette he had heard enough. Emiko, on the other hand, felt no such embarrassment since she meant what she said, and it was just her luck that she would end up sitting next to the idol of the school. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she turned to her right to face her torture. 

Her dark brown eyes looked into dark blue ones. His slightly messy black hair was probably the only messy thing about him. He looked at Emiko with a blank expression, but she could see the confusion in his eyes. Yes, it was an odd thing for someone to say. Idols were usually loved, that's why they were idols. He didn't seem offended though. Just confused. Their eyes met for only a moment before he resumed moving and began to unpack. 

"Thank you, Nakano-san. I hope you also had a good break." He briefly looked at the flustered brunette as he greeted her before looking down again. Honoka visibly relaxed at his calm demeanor, and Emiko's statement seemed to be forgotten.

"Oh! Akaashi-kun, meet Sakemoto Emiko-chan. She just transferred to the school this year, so she's new!" The brunette began bouncing in her seat, excited to introduce the new girl. Her volume had risen just enough for a few students a couple of seats away to turn their attention to the trio. There were already several people watching the beautiful student at the corner desk, but now that number practically doubled. This was exactly what Emiko wanted to avoid. 

The most apparent were the stares from the boys, who looked at the pretty girl with dark brown eyes and silky black waves that reached her lower back with lights in their eyes. She knew those lights. They were interested in her and would probably approach her sooner or later. Hopefully later. Best if not ever. She made a point of ignoring them and turned to the blue-eyed boy, who was now looking at up at her again after having finished unpacking what he needed. 

"Nice to meet you, Akaashi-san."

"Nice to meet you too, Sakemoto-san." She could have sworn he just hid a smirk with his hand in front of his mouth as he turned to face the front. That wasn't too surprising though, given that she previously said she didn't like idols while Honoka was talking about Akaashi. In her defense, it was nice to meet him, but that didn't mean she liked him. Right now she hadn't formed an opinion yet, actually. He was good-looking, she'd give him that, but that was more than likely a big part of why he was an idol, so she would never admit it. She didn't like idols after all, and stroking one's ego was the last thing she'd let herself do. 

After letting her eyes glance over his facial features, Emiko looked at the front of the classroom as well and saw a woman entering. 

"Ah, looks like a teacher is here." Honoka immediately turned to the front, whispering something about getting to know each other more later. 

"Good morning everyone! I'm Ono-sensei, and I will be your homeroom and English teacher this year." Everyone greeted her back, and they went around the room introducing themselves. Emiko, being in the back corner, was going to be the last one to go. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again. As if she hadn't gained enough attention already. She couldn't walk down the hall this morning after the entrance ceremony without several boys drooling over her as she passed. It would have been flattering to be found attractive if she wanted attention, but she just wanted to blend in. Is that too much to ask? 

When her turn arrived, she stood up and spoke calmly and clearly, allowing her voice to carry through the classroom and reach everyone. 

"My name is Sakemoto Emiko. I just transferred this year. I look forward to working with all of you." She gave a small bow, but before she could sit down, Ono-sensei chuckled and spoke. 

"Why are you sitting in a corner dear? You should sit in the middle of the class to meet more students. Would you like me to switch you with someone?" Emiko gave the smirking woman an overly sweet smile. So she was one of those. This would be interesting. Her voice stayed calm as she played the game.

"I'm happy where I am, Ono-sensei. I prefer my interactions bite-sized." Her response earned a few chuckles and giggles as the teacher now smiled widely. 

"Ah, I see. Where are you transferring from?" Ono-sensei now asked curiously, and the rest of the class almost visibly leaned in to hear where she came from.

"The United States." There were a few gasps, and Ono-sensei's eyes widened before she nodded and continued speaking to Emiko.

"Your Japanese is great." 

"Thank you, I practiced it there so I wouldn't forget. Looks like it came in handy."

"How long were you in the United States, Sakemoto-san?" This time, an eager male from across the room voiced his question. Emiko looked at him with a reserved smile before answering. 

"Around six years." Some students began asking Emiko to say something in English, but the girl ignored them as she looked at the teacher blankly.

"Is that all Ono-sensei?" Her question was polite, but there was something in Emiko's voice that said she wasn't really asking. She didn't want to share anymore. The teacher understood and the smirk returned to her face as she nodded and told Emiko to sit down. 

_She's an interesting student that one._ The teacher couldn't help but wonder what happened to the girl in the US that made her reluctant to brag about her stay there. She ended up putting it to the back of her mind and began talking about the upcoming year. 

Emiko tried listening to the teacher and jotting down the necessary info, but she felt eyes on her. There were always students glancing back at her, and that she noticed since she was sitting in the back corner, but this was different. The gaze was more intense and coming from her right. She glanced in that direction to see dark blue eyes quickly moving to look down as Akaashi resumed writing in his own notebook. 

During breaks, the two girls talked a little more about themselves, though Emiko knew the black-haired boy to her right was intently listening to every word. Unfortunately, when lunch arrived, he got up and walked off with his bento before she could ask him about his silent nosiness, leaving the rest of the class to swarm around the transfer student. They didn't swarm her for long because someone burst into the room loudly and made his way over.

"Hey, Hey, Hey! Emiko!" The students around her froze and watched in disbelief as one of the most popular boys in school, who was also a third-year, made his way past the desks towards the new second-year all the while referring to her using her first name.

"You know Bokuto-senpai!?" Honoka asked in disbelief. 

"Yeah…" The brunette gave Emiko a look that said 'yeah' wasn't enough of an explanation, but the black-haired beauty didn't have time to say more since she was enveloped in a hug. There were gasps heard all around the room, and she swore she heard hearts breaking. Emiko hugged the boy back and hid her smirk in his chest. She was average in height, standing at 170 centimeters, which was still very short compared to many of the males she knew, including the mountain hugging her. He finally let her go to explain the situation, and she suppressed a giggle at the jealous and awed expressions on everyone's faces. 

"Emiko is my childhood friend! Treat her well!" Honoka blinked and looked back and forth between Emiko and Bokuto in confusion while clutching her hands to her chest.

"So you're not… together?" Bokuto loudly guffawed while Emiko hid her smile with her hand, sending Honoka an amused look that caused the girl to flush. Seeing as Bokuto kept laughing, Emiko smacked him in the back of his head, making him gasp in pain and glare at her. The glare was harmless though, so he gave her owlet eyes in an attempt to make her feel bad. She did, but she wouldn't show it, choosing to face Honoka with an amused roll of her eyes. 

"That's right, Nakano-san. We're just friends. I lived here in Tokyo, before moving to the US, so Koutarou is one of my closest friends from then." She completely ignored the pouting owl next to her as her classmates tried to process the fact that she hit someone a year older than her. He may be a year older physically, but his brain still had a while before it could catch up to hers.

Emiko sat the male down in Akaashi's seat, and they chatted. The intimate atmosphere as they leaned towards each other quickly making the crowd dissipate. 

"How's your first day?" His voice was much calmer than usual, accommodating Emiko and her preference for a more relaxed discussion. How THE Bokuto Koutarou was capable of managing his volume, she didn't know. It was probably sorcery.

"It was alright. I met a few people. Ono-sensei is interesting too. How's your first day?"

"Practice started last week, so I've already met new people on the team and stuff. That was interesting. Class was pretty boring though. I don't like school!" He whined as he said the last sentence, just as she knew he would. She and Kuroo poked fun at his intelligence, but he really was a smart and sometimes mature person, he just showed it once in a blue moon and definitely not in situations related to academics. 

"You were coming home exhausted all weak from practice, but I'm glad it was worth it." She replied, finally letting a small but genuine smile grace her lips. He suddenly perked up and handed her a sheet of paper she didn't realize he was holding this whole time.

"This is the application for the club." She wanted to protest, she really did, but he gave her the owlet eyes again, and she couldn't say no. They didn't usually work on her, but he had gotten her excited about the idea after talking about it so much that her ears hurt, and now she was eager to sign up.

Emiko took the paper, filled it in and he explained that she should bring it into Gym 1 after classes ended for the day. He promised to talk more before hugging her tightly again and disappearing to eat his lunch with his friend, who he promised she would meet at club. Emiko returned back to her blank mask and put away the paper before taking out her lunch. She was startled when Honoka suddenly turned to face her with sparkles in her eyes. 

"Sakemoto-chan! Bokuto-senpai in your childhood friend!? That's so cool! You're so lucky!" Emiko looked at her in confusion after calming down from the heart attack she almost received. Seeing the look on her face, Honoka suddenly became shy again and fiddled with her fingers. 

"Well, he's very popular, and he's the captain of the boys' volleyball team this year…" Emiko shrugged with a bored expression on her face again. She knew all of those things because the owl took hours to talk about his team in the last two weeks. 

"His popularity doesn't interest me." The captain part I'm going to have to check out myself because that still sounds too good to be true. 

"Oh, right. You don't like idols or popular people." Honoka thought for a moment. "But you like Bokuto-senpai?" 

"Well, I knew him long before he was popular, and he hasn't changed now that he is, so I don't care." Honoka nodded before suddenly slapping her palm to her forehead and shaking her head with her eyes closed. 

"Akaashi-kun totally heard us talking about him in the morning! That's so embarrassing!"

"Relax, Nakano-san, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." The brunette pouted as she leaned in, causing Emiko to lean back. 

"Why are you so formal with me Sakemoto-chan?" The black-haired girl thought for a moment and decided she liked this girl so far, so maybe a little familiarity wouldn’t be too bad…

"Nakano-chan?" The brunettes pout intensified if that was even possible. 

"What? You called me Sakemoto-chan!" Honoka huffed and leaned back.

"Well yes because you seemed pretty closed off, but you can call me by my first name. I'd actually prefer that…" Her gaze softened a little as she looked down at the end. Something stirred in Emiko at seeing that expression. She sighed softly. Everyone had their secrets. No one was perfect. They already got this far, so why not just try this out?

"Alright, is Honoka-chan okay?" The brunette suddenly beamed again, blinding Emiko. The black-haired girl continued in a much quieter voice through slightly squinted eyes to protect herself from the brightness, "You can call me by my first name as well." 

"Hai! Emiko-chan!" Thus, a friendship was born. Whether it would become a true friendship, stay one of those flimsy at-arm's-length ones, or break into nothing was something only time would tell. Emiko didn't focus on it, and she didn't push it. She had to say though, she felt more at ease being acquainted with the girl. They exchanged phone numbers and talked about Bokuto and the manager position Emiko was signing up for. Honoka wished her luck, which Emiko gratefully accepted. She felt like she was missing something, but brushed off the feeling quickly as students started coming back to the class. That was something she shouldn't have done that since her gut feeling was basically always right, she just ignored it anyways being the idiot she was.

The second half of the day went by just like the first, except Akaashi's gaze wasn't so intense. He was once again gone the moment class ended while the girls said goodbye to each other. Emiko then made her way over to Gym 1, following the signs on the campus grounds carefully. 

She found it easily, took off her shoes, and stepped inside to be met with the familiar view of a volleyball court. There were three people already in the gym. They looked up from whatever paper they were all looking at as the girl entered. 

"Hello? Can we help you?" It was the man that spoke, and judging by the air about him, he was the coach. The other two people were girls who wore Fukurodani jackets and sweatpants just like the coach, so they were probably managers. Emiko confidently made her way over to the trio and held the application out in front of her after bowing slightly.

"Hi, my name is Sakemoto Emiko. I would like to join the boy's volleyball club as a manager." They looked over the application quickly before glancing at the girl patiently waiting. 

"Welcome Sakemoto-san. I'm coach Yamiji, this is Shirofuku Yukie and Suzumeda Kaori. They are both third-year managers, so they will help you with anything you need. You're a second-year right?" She nodded with a small smile. 

"Well, you can use this week as a trial week and then see if you want to stay afterward. It would be nice if you could stay though, since these two young ladies will be graduating after this year." The two senpais grinned at the younger girl and reassured her that despite that she didn't need to push herself to stay if she didn't feel like it.

"We have a pretty eccentric team, especially the captain," Shirofuku said, which Emiko almost laughed at because she knew better than most exactly what the older girl meant. 

Before anyone could say anything else, the boys began to pile in. They all looked at the managers, their eyes slowly growing bigger at the sight of the pretty new girl with the two other pretty girls they already knew. Two boys, a blonde one and one that reminded her strangely of a monkey bounded up to them and peered at the girl curiously. They opened their mouths to speak but were interrupted as loud shouting was heard. 

"Hey, Hey, Hey! Emiko you're here!" The tall male basically sprinted towards the female and enveloped her in another hug, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around as she hugged him back, holding on and enjoying the short ride. He was a goofball, an adorable goofball. He soon put her down, but she held onto his arm to stabilize herself and stop her mind from spinning. 

"Koutarou~ My head is spinning now. Did you have to make that many circles?" She didn't see his proud grin, but she heard it in his voice.

"Of course!" She groaned, but eventually managed to regain her balance and let go of his bicep. She then looked up to be face-to-face with the two who had come up earlier. They were already swinging their heads back and forth between the two teens, but now they gasped dramatically.

"B-Bokuto!? You know this girl!?" They both said in perfect unison. Emiko was already impressed. 

Bokuto placed his elbow on the girl's shoulder and leaned on her slightly, forcing her to shift so she wouldn't fall under the added weight. 

"Yep! This is my childhood friend, Sakemoto Emiko!" He once again introduced her with lots of enthusiasm. The boys took various amounts of time to process the information as Bokuto began to ramble about how they met when he was 5 and then she moved away six years later only to come back six more years later. Emiko took this time to study the boys, looking at each one with interest until she reached a familiar face that shocked her so much she gasped and her eyes went wide. She didn't expect him to be here. His eyes were just as wide, but he was calmer than her, having had a few moments earlier to get over the initial shock of seeing her here. 

"A-Akaashi-san!?" Bokuto looked down at the girl at her exclamation.

"You know him?"

"Yeah… the seat you took at lunch when we talked… was his." The boy beamed at her for some reason.

"Ah that's great! Akaashi is awesome, his tosses are the best, I can't wait for you to see our practice!" So he was a setter. She looked him up and down. Now that he was in his practice clothes, which consisted of a dark blue t-shirt and white shorts, she could see that he was indeed built like an athlete. His height was also much more evident now since they stood in front of each other. This. This was what she felt she was missing earlier. The male put a hand on his hip casually and looked at the excited captain. 

"Bokuto-san. You should calm down. I'm sure you'll have time after practice to introduce your childhood friend."

"Sakemoto Emiko." Emiko corrected him, relishing in her classmate's confused expression.

"What?" He asked, looking at her with a confused frown.

"The childhood friend's name is Sakemoto Emiko, idol-san." She added just enough venom into the nickname to make it evident she wasn't about to be buddies with this boy. Someone in the background gasped, but she ignored it. Bokuto was quiet for once as he observed the exchange. Emiko wasn't one to pick fights with people she didn't know well, so he was very curious as to where this would go. 

"I apologize, Sakemoto-san." Akaashi looked straight at her with a blank expression, but she still noticed the way his eye twitched. Smirking, she nodded.

"Apology accepted, Akaashi-san." The team gaped at the exchange. Akaashi didn't know what to do at this point. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle the female staring him down, especially since she was Bokuto's childhood friend. He didn't like her calling him an idol though. He didn't like the attention, and even though his friends joked about it, they knew he wasn't one for all of that popularity stuff. This girl, on the other hand, seemed to dislike him for his unneeded popularity, which he didn't really understand. He looked away from Emiko when the coach recovered from his own shock and told them to start warming up. He felt her eyes boring into his back as he walked away. 

Bokuto watched Emiko as she watched Akaashi leave with that blank expression on her face that made him uneasy since he had no way of reading it, and he frowned slightly.

"Did something happen?" Her answer was simple.

"I don't like idols." The boys were still close enough to hear her answer, stiffening ever so slightly at the words. Her tone sounded like she was discussing what to eat for breakfast. It sounded like the idea was natural to her. She didn't even hold any anger in her voice. She simply stated a fact, making it even scarier.

Thankfully for Akaashi, he was ahead of the group, since he was about to lead warm-ups, and his back was to the girl, so no one could see him flinch at her statement. He would probably need to talk to her about this or things could get weird. The managers looked at them in worry, wondering what was going on, and the coach frowned at the tension. Before anyone could continue moving or say anything though, Bokuto hugged Emiko around the shoulders with his right arm and pulled her into his side. 

"I know what you mean Emiko. Akaashi isn't like that." His voice was for once soft yet it held a sort of strength she knew meant he was serious. The team turned to the two at Bokuto's words, but he ignored them, opting to lean towards Emiko's ear and whisper so only she could hear. 

"Give him a chance. You might even like him." She was about to grumble out a 'fine' when he wagged his eyebrows, telling her exactly what he meant by 'like'. She stepped away with a blush on her cheeks and her hands in front of her, pushing his arm away.

"What!? No!? Koutarou! Why would you-Ugh! Start warm-ups you dumb owl before I punch you in the gut!" He continued wagging his eyebrows at her, and she just couldn't not lunge at him. The teen dodged her assault and ran away screaming for the others to follow him. The tension suddenly faded and a few sighed in relief. Bokuto was indeed the master of lifting everyone's moods. She couldn't help but smile slightly at his successful attempt to lift her mood. 

The girl was still blushing though, which raised the question of what did he tell her? The team let it go for now, deciding to ask him later, and followed the captain as he ran laps around the court. They did some drills first. Bokuto was so excited and looked over at Emiko so much that he got a few balls to the face along with an Akaashi with a dangerous aura ordering him to pay attention. 

When they began a practice match is when Emiko really perked up. She'd gone to change during the drills, so she missed most of them, but now she was sitting on the bench with the coach and the other two managers watching. She wore grey sweatpants and a black, baggy sweater, which was mostly ignored because it was still cold outside. Shirofuku still gave her a look since the gym itself is very hot from the boys' practice, but Emiko sighed in relief when the older girl shrugged it off. 

They were a strong team. That much was obvious from the beginning. Everyone knew what they were doing, and they were precise and confident at every step. The one person struggling was Bokuto. Akaashi was about to go mad judging by the tenseness in his shoulders, but the only sign of his irritation on his face was his furrowed brows. All the other spikers jumped perfectly and hit the ball where they should, but Bokuto just couldn't manage to align with the ball no matter what they tried. This ended up in either him barely touching the ball and turning it into a feint, him hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds, or him not even touching the ball, which was by far the most infuriating. Emiko herself was having trouble wrapping her head around it, but then she remembered he was Bokuto, and Bokuto was special. 

When the coach couldn't keep looking at the failed spikes anymore, he called a time out. His lecture was interrupted before it even started by a calm Emiko striding towards the unsuspecting ace. Correction, she looked calm, but she was nowhere near it. Her aura made the others step aside, and when the boy she was about to lecture noticed her, he automatically paled and reflexively took a step back. 

"Koutarou." The venom was easy to spot despite the calm tone, but she didn't notice the boys behind her flinch. Akaashi was standing next to the captain earlier, but now he stood off the side a little, not willing to test her right now, especially given their earlier exchange.

"H-Hai?" The cowering boy could only wait for her to speak. His movement was completely stopped by fear. 

"Either Akaashi-san doesn't know how to lower his toss, or that's your regular height and you're just not jumping high enough due to your excitement. Considering his tosses to the other spikers were perfect, I'm leaning very heavily toward the issue being your excitement. I know you can bounce around like a child, I grew up with you. But I'm here to watch you play, so get your shit together and play, dammit." She ground out through her anger. She could tell he could do better, and she was itching to see it. She looked at him with an expectant yet scolding glare with her hands on her hips, not at all fazed by his height considering he was reduced to a trembling child. 

"H-Hai!" He even saluted her, making her smile slightly.

"Good, now drink and get back to work, Ace." She winked, causing the male's mood to change completely to its usual happy state. She then turned to see the coach give her a thumbs up while he mouthed a silent 'thank you'. The gesture made the girl smile more noticeably, and she began to walk towards him when a now curious voice stopped her.

"Ne, Emiko. Did you just compliment Akaashi?" Why did the owl need to be so difficult? She turned again to glare at Bokuto and crossed her arms while putting her weight on her right leg. 

"I'm not an idiot, Koutarou. I recognize skill when I see it." 

"I'm going to rip your eyebrows off." Her second statement was in response to his waggling eyebrows, which she now wondered if she should wax while he was asleep. Thankfully, she didn't blush this time because she was prepared. If it had been anyone other than Bokuto, she would have ignored it or told them off and told them to stop implying something so stupid. Her childhood friends knew her general outlook on relationships and feelings though, so she knew the teasing was all for fun and wouldn't cross any lines. 

"No! I need them!" Bokuto was suddenly covering his eyebrows and sidestepping onto the court. 

"Good, then drop it." She turned to see Akaashi looking straight into her eyes as he walked towards her. She kept his eye contact until he passed by her, close enough to make her feel a breeze but not close enough to touch. When he was gone, she walked back towards the bench, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She almost shivered at the memory of his dark blue eyes. They were so intense as they bore into her soul despite him seeming relaxed and uncaring. 

The team resumed practice, and this time, Bokuto was doing very well. All of his spikes were on point. He'd always look over at Emiko after a successful kill and loudly ask if she saw how great he was. Every time she would nod and smile. The smiles she felt on her lips were genuine, and the girl felt like a piece of her was healing slowly. She was in the same school as one of her childhood friends, and she was around volleyball again. She loved the game and was happy that she let Bokuto's enthusiasm get to her and make her join the team. 

However, all good things must come to an end, and by the time there was about half an hour left of practice, her energy was drained completely. Emiko's eyes felt heavy, and she leaned forward to put her chin in her hands as she propped her elbows on her knees. She let the game enchant her, but the energy coming off Bokuto was hitting her like waves, making her even more tired. This here was the reason Emiko kept social interaction to a minimum. She had a low battery that ran out quickly and wouldn't recharge unless she had sleep and alone time for a few hours. This was one of the traits people found odd about her. She seemed extroverted, but then she would suddenly do a 180 and not speak to anyone. If she did speak to anyone, she would just be distant and even irritable if she was extra tired or having a bad day. 

Bokuto didn’t seem to notice her change in mood and kept asking her if she saw his kill, but Emiko only smiled tightly now. She didn't have the energy to nod. She watched everyone play, but her eyes kept being drawn to two players. The captain, and who she had learned from the coach was the vice-captain, Akaashi. The male was smart. He knew how to use all of his teammates to effectively keep earning points, all while staying absolutely calm and keeping Bokuto in check. So far, Bokuto's words seemed to be correct. The setter didn't seem like the typical cocky idol, but she wouldn't let her guard down yet. She was willing to consider the male in a more accepting light but only because Bokuto told her to. The unnerving thing was Akaashi kept looking over at her, and they made eye contact every now and then. 

The half-hour ended quickly, and the males made their way over to drink water. Emiko flinched when she saw Bokuto making his way towards her with a grin. She loved him, she really did, but this was too much. She felt like a flower that was wilting after being left out in the sun too long. She sighed in relief when he was stopped in his tracks, but suppressed a frown when she noticed it was Akaashi who stopped him. The boy wasn't even looking at the captain, instead, he was observing Emiko closely, and she had the feeling he saw her flinch earlier. 

"Bokuto-san, Sakemoto-san looks tired. Calm down." Bokuto quickly calmed down and looked over the black-haired manager more carefully before his eyes widened a fraction. 

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were spent already." She waved him off.

"I'm just not used to your levels of energy, Koutarou. Should be better in a few months." She caught Akaashi giving her a confused look, but she ignored it, opting to get to know the other players as they cooled down. The blonde was Konoha Akinori, and the monkey-like boy was Sarukui Yamato, which she found oddly fitting. The third-years all started calling her Emiko-chan, except Bokuto who just kept to his usual. The first and second years kept to Sakemoto-san, while she called the second and third years using their surnames and adding '-san' in response. She added '-kun' to the first years' surnames.

Bokuto and Emiko stopped a little way from the boy's locker room when the team had made their way to change, and the boy hugged her softly. She hugged him back, letting him hold her up as she relaxed fully. 

"You don't need me to walk you home?"

"No, I'll be fine. You need to rest."

"I still have the energy you know. I'd be worried if you went alone. It's dark." 

"I can handle myself, and you live a good ten blocks away, Koutarou."

"…I know someone who lives only three blocks away from you..." Judging by the pause at the beginning and the careful way in which he said that, she knew who he was talking about.

"Seriously? He lives that close to me?" Bokuto chuckled at her annoyed tone. 

"Hey, I thought I told you to give him time."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." There were a few moments of comfortable silence.

"So?" She huffed at his insistence.

"Fine, fine. Let me go you sweaty owl." She made a disturbed face at him and pushed the now laughing boy away. 

"I'll ask him. Wait for us here." She nodded and sat down with her back against the wall. Emiko wasn't going to change, not with the other managers in there. Since she was going home now, there really wasn't a reason for her to anyways.

Bokuto walked into the locker room only to be greeted by lots of questions and compliments saying how hot the girl was and asking if she was single or not. 

"Yes, she's beautiful. No, she doesn't have a boyfriend." Before they could comment on that second sentence, he added with a slight glare. "No, she doesn't want a relationship." He got confused looks.

"So she hooks up with people instead?" Konoha didn't know what to think when the captain laughed at his question.

"No, she doesn’t hook up either. She barely ever lets anyone other than me and our two other childhood friends touch her, let alone kiss her. She takes a while to get to know people." They nodded at his explanation, but they didn't seem too convinced. Bokuto took a quick shower and made his way to his locker next to Akaashi's.

"Akaashi, can you do me a favor?" The vice-captain would have automatically said no, knowing it was Bokuto asking for a favor, but the unusually serious tone made him raise a brow.

"What is it?"

"You live close to Emiko, so can you take her home for me? I wanna make sure she gets back safely." Akaashi's eyes widened, but he shook his head and turned back to his locker after managing to put an indifferent expression back on his face.

"Sakemoto-san doesn't seem to like me very much, Bokuto-san. I don't think that's a good idea." 

"She doesn't dislike you, she just doesn't know you, and she's wary of people she doesn't know," Bokuto reassured him as he dressed in his school uniform again. 

"I agree with Bokuto." Konoha turned from Akaashi to Bokuto and continued. "Why doesn't she like idols anyways?" The ace stiffened just enough for Akaashi and Konoha to notice since they were looking at him, but thankfully the others didn't seem to see anything. 

"It's… not really for me to tell… Also, she says that, but if it's a good person, she doesn't mind. That's why I know you'll be fine if you talk to her Akaashi." Bokuto had his hand on the back of his neck at this point as he smiled sheepishly. The shorter boy thought about it for a moment.

"Okay." The setter wondered why Bokuto wasn't telling them much since usually he wouldn't stop talking, but he wasn't one to pry. After getting the assurance that the girl would be walked home, the captain once again smiled brightly and grabbed his stuff.

"Awesome! Thanks, Akaashi! We'll be waiting outside." How the boy managed to dress faster than him despite entering last, Akaashi didn't know. He just hurried up, ignoring the pitying glances he was getting from the rest of the team. 

The three students walked quietly through the dark streets. Bokuto's fatigue must have caught up to him because his eyes were droopy. He did get over-excited today. Akaashi, having his hands in his pockets so they didn't swing as he walked, glanced over at the girl on the captain's left side to see her wearing a headphone in her left ear. That way she heard if they said anything, but while they were quiet, she got to enjoy the music. When they reached an intersection, the three stopped. Bokuto would be going to the right, and the two second-years would be going to the left. 

The owl hugged Emiko for probably the hundredth time that day, but as always, she hugged him back. This time was very weak though, and she could barely keep her eyes open. He leaned back to hold her at arms' length and looked at her pointedly. 

"Make sure you eat when you get home." She rolled her eyes with a weak smile.

"Sure, sure."

"I mean it, Emiko." 

"If I make it to the kitchen before falling asleep I will." Her annoyance still managed to shine through despite her fatigue. She returned a pointed glare of her own, making the boy give up and step away. 

"Okay, good. I'll see you tomorrow morning, then. Practice starts at 6:30." She nodded.

"Sounds good. See you then."

The boys then said their own goodbyes, before Bokuto made his way down the street with the two looking after him. Suddenly, Emiko slouched and put her face in her hands. 

"Ugh. I feel like a sun-dried tomato. I forgot he was so energetic after all these years of not being directly in his presence." The boy next to her quickly covered up the smirk that had appeared when she looked up.

"You handled him well today though." Her face went blank when she remembered whose company she was in and turned to show him she was about to leave. 

"I guess." Akaashi effortlessly fell in step next to her with his long legs that she was currently cursing in her mind with a frown. They walked in silence. The setter tried processing what he heard Bokuto being so insistent about, her eating. Why would he be so intent that she ate? The team may have wanted the two to have a conversation, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. He still couldn't tell if she was the kind who talked a lot or barely talked at all since she seemed to switch between the two. The girl suddenly stopped in front of a very large house on the corner, making him stop next to her.

"This is me." She opened the gate in the fence surrounding the house. It was probably one of the most expensive houses in the neighborhood the two lived in, so he figured she came from money. 

"Okay." He turned to walk away seeing as she was now technically inside the house, and he still didn't how what to say, when he felt a tug at his sleeve. He looked over his shoulder to see the black-haired beauty looking at him curiously, so he turned back to her, waiting for her to speak.

"What did Koutarou tell you about the idol thing?" He startled, not realizing she would have figured out that Bokuto told him something. He easily regained his composure but chose to answer honestly. 

"He said it wasn't his story to tell. He also said if it's a good person, you're fine with them, so I figured you don't like the asshole idols." He shrugged to show he didn't really care even though secretly he did.

The girl smiled at the knowledge that her friend kept her reasons to himself. She knew she could trust him of course, it just felt good to be reassured of it. Emiko smirked, deciding to see what she could get out of him despite fatigue making her feel like she was going to fall asleep right there. 

"That's part of it. Are you an asshole, Akaashi-san?" The boy gave her an annoyed look that made her feel proud of the provocation. He didn't look like someone who showed his emotions easily after all. 

"Depends on how you define it. Some people think I am." She wanted to ask why, but she figured she should just see him interact with other people. He didn't seem like an asshole from what she saw, then again, she wasn't really sure what she was looking at. He could be one of those who acted like he was too cool for everyone or he could be the kind who just didn't care about the attention. She didn't know which one he was, and it irritated her for some reason. 

She finally looked away from his dark blue eyes, not really knowing when they put her in a trance to begin with. Turning away from him, she stepped towards the gate again. 

"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Akaashi-san." 

"Have a good night, Sakemoto-san." She walked up the steps to her front door, opened it, and turned around to see those same dark blue orbs still looking at her. He hadn't moved a muscle. After a few moments, he looked away and kept going down the block towards his house. This guy was odd. She closed the door and took out her phone while taking off her shoes. 

**Emiko** : _I'm home_

The response was almost immediate.

 **Koutarou** : _Good, make sure u eat! Did u two talk?_

She rolled her eyes as she made her way into the kitchen, not needing to turn on any lights since she was accustomed to the darkness of the house already. 

**Emiko** : _Kind of_

 **Koutarou** : _What do u mean kind of?_

 **Emiko** : _I mean I don't know Koutarou. Sure u said he wasn't like that but I don't know him_

**Koutarou** : _Give him time_

**Emiko** : _I will, goodnight Kou_

 **Koutarou** : _Mhmm, night!_

She now opened the fridge she'd been standing in front of and peered inside. It was stocked as always, but she only eyed the fruit. Emiko didn't feel like eating much despite having only one meal today, so she grabbed a tangerine and ended her dinner with that. Half an hour later, she was freshly showered and in bed. The light was off, and she was under the covers, but her eyes kept staring at the ceiling. Today wasn't so bad. Right? She liked Honoka. She liked the team. The team. Akaashi. His dark blue eyes invaded her vision and closing her own eyes didn't help. She didn't know how many times she replayed today's events in her mind or what time she finally fell asleep, but she didn't care. Sleep wasn't something that came easily to her, but she didn't force it, knowing that more than three hours would give her dreams, and she didn't need them.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please leave a review telling me what you think.


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